Complaints information on GP websites

In 2023 Healthwatch Shropshire asked people to share their experiences of making a complaint about NHS or social care services in Shropshire within the last two years. One of the key findings was that people found using complaints processes difficult to navigate or confusing. During this project it became apparent that the information given to patients by GP practices via their websites about the NHS complaints process was quite varied and in some cases incomplete and / or out of date.  Healthwatch Shropshire therefore decided to undertake a mystery shopping exercise to assess the information they found on the websites of GP practices in Shropshire.

All practices bar one had information on their website. The information was found on a variety of pages.  Over four in five contained information on how to submit the complaint and over three in five had specific contacts to send the complaint to. Only one practice website contained all of the information Healthwatch thought was helpful and only five contained all of the core information, i.e. all the elements except a formal policy and details of the NHS constitution and patient rights.

The information wasn't always in an accessible format, for example, it was in pdf which doesn't meet NHS standards.

The majority of practices accept complaints through a combination of channels. The most commonly offered channel is in writing (54%). Eight practices (22%) indicate that they will accept a complaint verbally, via email or by letter. However, 7 practices (19%) give no clear indication of how to lodge a complaint. One of these does tell patients that further information is available at reception, presumably the patient has to visit the practice and ask staff which may be off putting, particularly in this scenario where the complaint involves the reception systems.

The report contains six recommendations on how GP practices can improve information about complaints on their websites.